By SUE MANNING, Associated Press WriterLOS ANGELES (AP) - Pit bulls and parolees. Tia Maria Torres has opened her heart and home to the unwanted.

On 17 acres in the rugged terrain of Canyon Country, Torres provides a place to live or work for six parolees, 225 pit bulls, 204 volunteers, two French bulldogs, 19 cats, a husband and four kids.

Torres, 49, started Villalobos Rescue Center - the largest pit bull rescue in the United States - 14 years ago. She added ex-cons three years ago with prison pen pal and tattoo artist Aren Marcus Jackson, who would become her second husband.

But the rescue's been a money pit requiring creative financing. She tried to open a brothel to pay the bills, but it burned down. So now she's turning to reality TV - Animal Planet's "Pit Bulls and Parolees," which airs next month - to help cover the $20,000 in monthly bills (including a ton of dog food a week) and an ever-growing $25,000 vet tab.

If it had worked out otherwise, she jokes the show would have been called "Pit Bulls, Parolees and Prostitutes."

That would have been a great title for a show if she did open a brothel, but my goodness, at over 200 pitbulls you know she's dedicated. This, in my opinion, is a great way to not only help the dogs, but also rehab some of the felons and criminals in the system, so that maybe they don't go back and saves cash for it in the long haul. They need more. Much much more.

I'm not saying every criminal should be paired with a pit (good god no) but those who are (and make up a huge part of) in prison/jail for marijuana use would probably be a good group to spring out since its a waste of cash to hold a pothead in a cell with hardened criminals and such. My opinions on drugs/law/rehab aside, I think it is wonderful for the dogs to have people care for them, and give them a chance.

I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day, tomorrow doesn't look good either.
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"You didn't know of the magical powers of the break stick? It's up there with genies and Harry Potter as far as magic levels go." SisMorphine 01/07/07

Hi again everyone, thanks for all the warm welcomes. So this show premieres this Friday night (Oct. 30) on Animal Planet @ 10pm. The episode that my husband and I (and our dog Uggi) filmed will air November 6 @ 10PM. I am all of a sudden incredibly nervous about this. More nervous than I have ever been. It's a strange feeling for me. Although we filmed the episode, we will see the fnal cut when everyone else does.

Please make sure to remind us when your episode is on! I can't remember what happened five minutes ago, LOL.

me neither, Jen

I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day, tomorrow doesn't look good either.
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"You didn't know of the magical powers of the break stick? It's up there with genies and Harry Potter as far as magic levels go." SisMorphine 01/07/07

Watched it. Loved it, but of course I already knew I would! The producers are very dedicated as is Tia and everyone else up there. It did break my heart that they had to put Rock down. He was usch an awesome dog!

I hope our episode next week is as good. Although I keep reading the descripton of our episode on animalplanet.com

"Pit Bulls and Parolees Redemption TV-PG A parolee is assigned a difficult adoption case featuring a cast of renaissance fair pirates looking to add a pit bull to their crew. And Tia's husband faces a bail hearing after an 18-month wait."

and I keep looking at Uggi and thinking what did you do that made them say you were "difficult". I mean here at home he's a great big lap dog (cuz it's such a surprise that any pit bull is a lap dog! *LOL*) But I have no idea what he could have done at the rescue that earned him the label as "difficult" I guess I'll see next week along with the rest of the world. ...and if he's difficult it's the producers' fault...they are the ones that made him a Rockstar"!